Best Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

When building a Commander deck in Magic: The Gathering, choosing the right commander is crucial. The commander not only sets the tone for the deck but also determines what cards can be included based on their color identity. Mono-blue is popular for Commander decks due to its ability to control the board and draw cards. Introducing the 100 best mono blue commanders! Let's take an in-depth look at the best mono-blue commanders in MTG.

If you're just learning the commander format check out our guide for beginners!

Understanding Mono Blue Commanders

Mono-blue is a popular choice for control decks. Blue commanders are known for their powerful counterspells, card draw, and manipulation of the game. There are several aspects of mono-blue commanders that make them so effective.

One of the defining features of mono-blue commanders is their ability to control the game. Blue has access to some of the most powerful counterspells in MTG, which can shut down opponents' game plans before they even start.

Some blue commanders can also manipulate the game by bouncing opponents' permanents back to their hands or tapping them down, making it difficult for them to make meaningful plays.

Another strength of blue commanders is their ability to draw cards. Blue has access to a plethora of card draw spells, which can help you dig through your deck and find the cards you need to win the game. This makes mono-blue commander decks very consistent, as you will always have access to the cards you need to make plays.

Mono-blue commanders are the most efficient for building a “mill” deck. Mill strategy isn't to damage your opponent, but instead to run them out of cards. Mill is an alternate win condition in Magic, if your opponent can't draw a card when they're forced to, they lose the game.

Mono-blue commanders may have types or tribes such as Wizards, Merfolk, Faeries, and other spellcasters. This makes sense, given blue's focus on spells and manipulation of the game. You can see some of the best creature options for your mono blue commander deck here.

Overall, mono-blue commanders are a great choice for players who enjoy control decks and want to manipulate the game to their advantage. With their powerful “nopes” (counterspells,) card draw, and control of the board, a mono-blue commander deck can be a force to be reckoned with.

Also, be sure to check out our articles on the top 100 black commanders and 100 best green commanders!

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Top 10 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

We took a look at the top 100 mono-blue commanders on EDHREC.com to see what's currently the most popular. The list provides the Converted Mana Cost (CMC,) the card Name, and card type (there may be Planeswalkers, not just creatures.)

It includes the price of the card on both CardKingdom.com and TCGPlayer.com, as well as a “Salt” score. The Salt basically means how hated is this commander before the other players even see the rest of your deck. Lastly we get the amount of mono-blue deck lists that EDHREC currently has in their database using that commander. 

Here's a breakdown of the top 10, and why they make great commanders!

Number	CMC	Name	Type	Card Kingdom	TCGPlayer	Salt	Decks
1	4	Urza, Lord High Artificer	Creature	$10.99	$8.43	2.3	8750
2	4	Orvar, the All-Form	Creature	$11.99	$6.94	1	7784
3	3	Minn, Wily Illusionist	Creature	$4.49	$2.04	0.2	4576
4	4	Talrand, Sky Summoner	Creature	$0.49	$0.21	0.4	4523
5	3	Bruvac the Grandiloquent	Creature	$39.99	$30.64	1.2	3515
6	3	Emry, Lurker of the Loch	Creature	$0.69	$0.42	0.5	3515
7	10	Octavia, Living Thesis	Creature	$1.99	$0.80	0.3	2808
8	5	Azami, Lady of Scrolls	Creature	$0.49	$0.18	0.5	2670
9	2	Baral, Chief of Compliance	Creature	$1.79	$1.35	1.2	2602
10	4	Braids, Conjurer Adept	Creature	$0.49	$0.15	0.5	2475

• Urza, Lord High Artificer: A powerful Mono Blue Commander that focuses on creating and using powerful artifacts. He earns that high Salt score. With Urza at the helm of your deck, you can take advantage of his ability to create a 0/0 Construct creature token when he's cast, as well as tap artifacts for mana. Urza's final ability allows you to exile the top card of your library until end of turn and play it without paying its mana cost. This can lead to some incredibly powerful plays. Urza also makes our list of Top 5 Tribal Myr Commanders!
• Orvar, the All Form: Shines as a mono-blue commander due to its ability to transform low-cost targeting spells into powerful value engines, creating creature copies with every spell cast. This offers both combo potential and a consistent board presence in a color filled with relevant instants and sorceries. 
• Minn, Wily Illusionist: Excels by leveraging blue's card drawing strengths, generating Illusion tokens whenever you draw your second card each turn. This consistent token creation, combined with a second ability that may allow you to play another permanent for free when an illusion dies, allows for fun deck-building, and surprising combos.

• Talrand, Sky Summoner: Talrand thrives in a spell-slinging environment, rewarding players with a 2/2 flying Drake token every time they cast an instant or sorcery. In mono-blue decks laden with counterspells, draw spells, and other utilities, Talrand rapidly populates the battlefield with an aerial army, transforming every spell into a dual threat of immediate effect and board presence, making him a favorite for those who relish proactive blue strategies.
• Bruvac the Grandiloquent: Bruvac is a mill strategist's dream, and for good reason. He doubles the number of cards opponents place into their graveyards from libraries. In a mono-blue setting, where mill tactics are traditionally strong, Bruvac accelerates this win condition dramatically. Frankly, I'm surprised his Salt score isn't higher. Paired with classic mill cards or newer innovations, Bruvac can quickly deplete opponents' decks, making him a uniquely formidable mono-blue commander with a clear and potent focus.
• Emry, Lurker of the Loch: This commander capitalizes on artifact synergies, reducing her casting cost for each artifact you control and permitting the recasting of artifacts from the graveyard. In a mono-blue shell rich with versatile artifacts, Emry not only becomes a frequent low-cost commander but also a recurring value engine, allowing for strategic artifact recursion and interactions. Her potential combos and her ability to recover key pieces make her an invaluable leader for blue artifact-centric decks.

• Octavia, Living Thesis: Octavia offers a unique take on mono-blue's prowess in manipulating spells and creatures. With her casting cost reduced if you have eight or more instant or sorcery cards in your graveyard and her ability to make creatures 8/8, she synergizes well with blue's knack for control and card draw. Once on the field, any small creature can be turned into a formidable 8/8 threat with just a single instant or sorcery, allowing for unexpectedly powerful swings and board dominance.
• Azami, Lady of Scrolls: Need a powerhouse commander for decks focused on wizard tribal and card advantage? Azami is a Human Wizard, and her ability to tap an untapped Wizard, including herself, to draw a card makes her a consistent source of card advantage. In a mono-blue environment filled with wizards, counterspells, and control elements, Azami ensures you're rarely without answers or threats, effectively turning every wizard on your board into a potential card draw engine, solidifying her role as a linchpin for blue control and typal/tribal strategies.

• Baral, Chief of Compliance: With Baral at the helm of your deck, you can take advantage of his ability to reduce the cost of your instant and sorcery spells. This may allow you to counter your opponent's spells more easily, or deal with other threats for less mana. Baral's ability to draw a card and then discard a card whenever you counter a spell can also help you see more cards each game and provide a more consistent deck.
• Braids, Conjurer Adept: Braids is a mono blue commander that focuses on cheating out powerful artifacts, creatures, or lands from your hand. This may allow you to play high powered creatures or artifacts earlier in the game than you otherwise could. Since Braids also benefits other players, she may be seen as a type of group hug for a time and not get as much hate as some commanders.

Top 11 – 20 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

Now that we're outside the top 10, we'll take a deep look at 3 from each of the next few blocks of 10 until we hit 50. Here's a look at the list of 11 through 20!

11	7	Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant	Creature	$8.99	$6.04	1.9	1978
12	4	Charix, the Raging Isle	Creature	$0.49	$0.27	0.1	1800
13	3	Svyelun of Sea and Sky	Creature	$1.99	$0.84	0.3	1595
14	3	Sai, Master Thopterist	Creature	$0.69	$0.44	0.2	1542
15	6	Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign	Creature	$1.29	$0.70	0.1	1486
16	5	Lier, Disciple of the Drowned	Creature	$10.99	$6.86	0.7	1467
17	2	The Reality Chip	Creature	$2.29	$1.32	0.2	1432
18	5	Jin-Gitaxias	Creature	$5.99	$4.51	0	1368
19	2	Kami of the Crescent Moon	Creature	$2.99	$1.22	0.2	1292
20	4	Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus	Creature	$4.49	$3.86	0	1279

• Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant: This commander is the embodiment of blue's core strengths: control and duplication. At a relatively high but achievable mana cost, this version of Jin-Gitaxias offers dual advantages. Firstly, it amplifies your plays by copying any artifact, instant, or sorcery you cast, granting both value and versatility. This ability, especially when combined with powerful spells or synergistic artifacts, can lead to game-changing turns. The card also serves as a control mechanism, countering the first artifact, instant, or sorcery an opponent casts each turn. This disruption, combined with its spell-copying potential, positions Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant as a powerful commander or a high-impact card in any blue-centric deck, embodying the spirit of blue's manipulative and controlling nature in the game.
• Sai, Master Thopterist: Sai is a linchpin for artifact-centric strategies in mono-blue. With every artifact spell cast, Sai generates a 1/1 flying Thopter token, promoting a board presence that's further bolstered by his ability to convert artifacts into card draw. Whether used in a combo-oriented setup or a value-driven engine, Sai provides consistent advantage and a growing aerial threat, making him a staple in blue artifact decks.
• Kami of the Crescent Moon: This commander turns the blue strategy of card draw into a symmetrical, yet cunning advantage. By granting each player an additional draw during their draw step, it accelerates the game's pace while subtly setting up for mill or card-draw-based win conditions. In a deck designed to exploit or benefit more from the extra draws, this seemingly benign spirit can form the foundation of various sneaky and potent blue strategies.

21 – 30 Best Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

Top 100 commanders 21 through 30 currently look like this:

21		Eligeth, Crossroads Augur // Siani, Eye of the Storm	Creatures / Partner	$0.49 + $0.35	$0.19 + $0.06		1231
22	2	Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive	Creature	$0.35	$0.10	0.3	1194
23	4	Thassa, Deep-Dwelling	Creature	$11.99	$9.31	0.5	1160
24	7	Memnarch	Creature	$7.99	$7.14	1	1092
25	2	Jacob Hauken, Inspector	Creature	$0.99	$0.44	0.2	1089
26	4	Alandra, Sky Dreamer	Creature	$15.99	$11.36	0	1067
27	4	Arcum Dagsson	Creature	$9.99	$8.05	0.7	977
28	4	Jalira, Master Polymorphist	Creature	$0.49	$0.17	0	961
29	4	Donal, Herald of Wings	Creature	$0.99	$0.29	0.2	919
30	3	Unctus, Grand Metatect	Creature	$0.49	$0.30	0	840

• Eligeth, Crossroads Augur // Siani, Eye of the Storm: These are partner commanders, which means they can both be used together as commanders for a single EDH deck, giving you access to both of their abilities. Eligeth's transformation of scry effects into card draw, combined with Siani's scry-triggering attack alongside other fliers, creates a consistent card advantage engine. Their shared flying trait also promotes aerial dominance, while their partnership offers flexibility in addressing varying game states. Together they elevate scry-centric cards and strategies, making them formidable leaders for a blue mana focused deck.

• Thassa, Deep-Dwelling: Thassa excels in mono-blue commander decks by leveraging her ability to “blink” or exile and immediately return a creature to the battlefield at the beginning of the end step. This ability interacts harmoniously with creatures possessing enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects, allowing repeated value every turn. Additionally, her indestructibility ensures she remains a resilient presence on the board, while her ability to make creatures unblockable can create significant combat advantages or facilitate strategic plays.
• Alandra, Sky Dreamer: This card stands out as a potent mono-blue commander by turning the color's natural propensity for card draw into tangible board advantage. Her ability to create 2/2 flying Drake tokens upon drawing a second card each turn not only builds a consistent aerial presence but also synergizes with common blue card draw mechanics. More impressively, drawing a fifth card in a turn not only boosts Alandra herself but also supercharges any Drakes you control based on your hand size, making her an escalating threat. In decks designed to maximize card draw and maintain a full grip, Alandra can transition seamlessly between generating value and launching overwhelming attacks.

Top 31 – 40 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

Top 100 numbers 31 through 40 shape up with these monsters:

31	3	Emperor Mihail II	Creature	$1.49	$1.35	0.1	808
32	2	Naban, Dean of Iteration	Creature	$0.49	$0.38	0.3	805
33	6	Teferi, Temporal Archmage	Planeswalker	$2.29	$1.20	0.9	804
34	6	Atemsis, All-Seeing	Creature	$0.49	$0.26	0.4	794
35	2	Jace, Vryn's Prodigy	Creature	$5.99	$4.96	0.3	748
36	3	Geralf, Visionary Stitcher	Creature	$0.79	$0.44	0.2	733
37	7	Patron of the Moon	Creature	$0.79	$0.46	0.1	708
38	6	Arcanis the Omnipotent	Creature	$0.49	$0.35	0.3	694
39	3	Cosima, God of the Voyage	Creature	$0.69	$0.26	0.1	680
40	5	The Watcher in the Water	Creature	$2.49	$2.08	0	600

• Teferi, Temporal Archmage: offers versatility and accelerates blue's control strategy. His -1 ability untaps up to four permanents, which can lead to rapid mana generation or repeated utilization of utility artifacts and lands. His card-drawing +1 ability ensures a steady flow of answers and threats. As a planeswalker commander, Teferi can be the linchpin of combo decks, most notably with “The Chain Veil,” enabling potentially game-winning sequences.
• Arcanis the Omnipotent: This wizard legend is pure card advantage embodied in a creature. The ability to tap for three cards ensures a consistently replenished hand, making him a magnet for beneficial equipment and aura synergies. Furthermore, his built-in bounce-to-hand ability offers a method of self-preservation against removal. In a mono-blue setting, where card draw equates to power, Arcanis stands as a formidable source of continual advantage.

• Jace, Vryn's Prodigy: When Jace, Vryn's Prodigy transforms into Jace, Telepath Unbound, he demonstrates the power of efficient looting paired with spell recursion. The front side helps filter draws and fill the graveyard, while the flip side's -3 ability recasts instants or sorceries, providing repeated value. Compact in mana cost and synergizing with a plethora of strategies, Jace offers both early game utility and late-game advantage, making him a flexible and adaptive commander option.

Top 41 – 50 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

Numbers 41 through 50 of the top 100 include these commanders:

41	2	Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam	Creature	$0.49	$0.27	0	573
42	4	God-Eternal Kefnet	Creature	$1.99	$1.99	0.4	559
43	2	Fblthp, the Lost	Creature	$0.49	$0.19	0.1	531
44	3	Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar	Creature	$0.99	$0.32	0.2	516
45	7	Nezahal, Primal Tide	Creature	$6.99	$3.83	0.5	515
46	10	Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur	Creature	$3.99	$2.80	2.3	512
47	6	Sun Quan, Lord of Wu	Creature	$10.99	$8.62	1.2	502
48	4	Naru Meha, Master Wizard	Creature	$0.99	$0.35	0.3	495
49	4	Blind Seer	Creature	$0.49	$0.47	0.5	491
50	3	Thada Adel, Acquisitor	Creature	$6.49	$4.76	0.6	463

• God-Eternal Kefnet: Kefnet: stands out by turning the inherent blue strength of card draw into proactive gameplay. Revealing the first card you draw each turn, if it's an instant or sorcery, allows you to create a copy of it for a reduced cost, amplifying the value of your spells. Plus, Kefnet's inherent resilience—being able to tuck itself third from the top when it dies or is exiled—ensures repeated access to this powerful ability, making it an ever-present threat in games.
• Nezahal, Primal Tide: A bastion of card advantage and resilience. Its ability to draw cards whenever an opponent casts a non-creature spell ensures a steady influx of resources in a format rife with spells. Nezahal's discard-three-cards-to-exile-and-return ability is a formidable defense against targeted removal or board wipes, making it exceptionally challenging to permanently deal with. This dinosaur captures the essence of blue's card advantage and staying power.
• Sun Quan, Lord of Wu: Note the salt level. Sun Quan offers a unique and powerful angle of attack in blue: granting all your creatures horsemanship. Horsemanship is an old and seldom-seen ability that essentially makes them unblockable against most decks. In a color that can amass powerful creatures but often struggles to get damage through dense board states, Sun Quan turns the tide, allowing for sudden and often lethal combat swings. This makes him a uniquely aggressive commander in the blue spectrum.

Top 51 – 75 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

Since we're through the top 50 I'm only going to take a deeper look at a few more here, but this is the 51 through 75 section list:

51	3	Muzzio, Visionary Architect	Creature	$0.99	$0.21	0.2	463
52	5	Alrund, God of the Cosmos	Creature	$0.99	$0.37	0.2	460
53	5	Empress Galina	Creature	$4.49	$5.74	1.3	450
54	3	Thassa, God of the Sea	Creature	$10.99	$7.38	0.3	444
55	1	Errant, Street Artist	Creature	$0.49	$0.14	0.1	355
56	4	Chisei, Heart of Oceans	Creature	$0.69	$1.39	0.1	348
57	4	Sakashima the Impostor	Creature	$6.49	$5.63	0.4	330
58	4	Kaho, Minamo Historian	Creature	$0.35	$0.10	0.3	324
59	3	Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea	Creature	$0.35	$0.11	0.2	321
60	3	Kefnet the Mindful	Creature	$1.29	$0.38	0.1	316
61	6	Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor	Creature	$0.49	$0.34	0.2	315
62	6	Kairi, the Swirling Sky	Creature	$0.99	$0.57	0.2	301
63	4	Katsumasa, the Animator	Creature	$0.59	$0.18	0.1	294
64	2	Goldberry, River-Daughter	Creature	$0.49	$0.49	0	280
65	5	Deekah, Fractal Theorist	Creature	$3.99	$2.89	0.2	271
66	3	Gadwick, the Wizened	Creature	$0.49	$0.63	0.4	267
67	3	Urza, Powerstone Prodigy	Creature	$0.35	$0.04	0	265
68	5	Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir	Creature	$2.29	$1.74	1.1	262
69	5	Thryx, the Sudden Storm	Creature	$0.35	$0.15	0.2	254
70	4	Mistform Ultimus	Creature	$0.35	$0.23	0.1	253
71	4	Padeem, Consul of Innovation	Creature	$0.49	$0.17	0.4	252
72	4	Maeve, Insidious Singer	Creature	$3.49	$1.90	0.2	240
73	6	Ormos, Archive Keeper	Creature	$0.49	$0.11	0.2	237
74	6	Keiga, the Tide Star	Creature	$0.59	$0.42	0.5	213
75	8	Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep	Creature	$0.49	$0.15	0.2	205

• Thassa, God of the Sea: This version of Thassa weaves blue's themes of manipulation and evasion. Her static ability grants a creature unblockability every turn, facilitating strategic attacks or commander damage wins. Additionally, her scry ability at the beginning of every upkeep refines card draws, enhancing consistency. Being indestructible, Thassa also remains a resilient board presence, embodying both subtle influence and a looming threat.
• Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir: Another version of Teferi, this one is a control player's dream. It restricts opponents to casting spells only at sorcery speed and nullifying instant-speed interactions on your turn. This creates a one-sided advantage where you can play freely, while opponents are shackled. Moreover, with flash, Teferi can be deployed unexpectedly, often disrupting opponents' plans at crucial moments.
• Keiga, the Tide Star: There aren't too many blue dragons, let alone legendary ones. This one introduces a unique form of control to the battlefield. Upon death, Keiga allows you to take control of any target creature, turning removal spells or board wipes into potential advantages. This dragon's presence forces opponents into difficult decisions, as killing Keiga can often mean relinquishing their best creature. In a format where powerful creatures are abundant, Keiga's ability can swing games dramatically.

Top 76 – 100 Mono Blue Commanders in MTG Magic: the Gathering

We're at the last section of the list, 76 through 100!

76	5	Ixidor, Reality Sculptor	Creature	$1.79	$1.63	0.2	198
77	5	Hakim, Loreweaver	Creature	$0.49	$1.06	0.1	194
78	3	Hurkyl, Master Wizard	Creature	$0.49	$0.13	0	192
79	5	Taniwha	Creature	$4.49	$5.27	0.3	191
80	5	Iymrith, Desert Doom	Creature	$0.99	$0.66	0.2	191
81	7	Tromokratis	Creature	$0.35	$0.13	0.2	169
82	3	Rayne, Academy Chancellor	Creature	$0.49	$0.23	0	167
83		Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Sakashima of a Thousand Faces					167
84	5	Meloku the Clouded Mirror	Creature	$0.99	$0.34	0.2	164
85	3	Kira, Great Glass-Spinner	Creature	$5.99	$3.93	0.8	156
86		Eligeth, Crossroads Augur // Esior, Wardwing Familiar					156
87	3	Barrin, Master Wizard	Creature	$10.99	$10.60	0.3	155
88	3	Vendilion Clique	Creature	$5.49	$3.37	0.4	154
89	5	Syr Elenora, the Discerning	Creature	$0.35	$0.04	0.2	146
90	3	Barrin, Tolarian Archmage	Creature	$0.49	$0.15	0.1	145
91	4	Gandalf, Friend of the Shire	Creature	$0.35	$0.06	0	142
92	5	Stitcher Geralf	Creature	$0.49	$0.11	0	141
93	8	Myojin of Cryptic Dreams	Creature	$0.49	$0.25	0.2	138
94	4	Llawan, Cephalid Empress	Creature	$0.69	$0.80	0.8	138
95	6	Uyo, Silent Prophet	Creature	$0.49	$0.30	0	138
96		Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher // Clan Crafter					136
97	4	Lu Xun, Scholar General	Creature	$0.49	$0.27	0.1	129
98	3	Simon, Wild Magic Sorcerer	Creature	$8.99	$12.64	0	128
99	3	Ambassador Laquatus	Creature	$0.49	$1.02	0.3	126
100	6	Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar	Creature	$0.69	$0.68	0.2	118

• Ixidor, Reality Sculptor: Ixidor champions the morph mechanic, enhancing the power and reducing the cost of face-down creatures. In a dedicated morph deck, Ixidor not only offers a thematic core but also a consistent source of amplification, transforming seemingly innocuous 2/2 creatures into larger threats while potentially unlocking powerful morph-triggered abilities. His ability to turn the tide of battle with unexpected morph surprises embodies blue's love for deception and unpredictability.
• Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: This card acts as a powerful protective umbrella for your creatures, granting them a shield against the first targeted spell or ability an opponent casts on them each turn. This defensive layer complicates opponents' attempts at removal or interaction, allowing your creatures to navigate the battlefield with relative safety. In control or creature-heavy builds, Kira's presence can be a major deterrent, forcing opponents to expend additional resources just to interact with your board.
• Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar: This commander redefines card draw, turning any single draw into a pseudo-“Impulse” effect, where you look at the top three cards and pick one. This enhanced selection offers unparalleled consistency, ensuring that you often have the right answers or threats at hand. Tomorrow elevates the blue strategy of card advantage by refining it, making every draw step a tailored and efficient experience.

Best Mana Rocks in Mono Blue Commander Decks

Blue is a bit of an enigma in that it needs to keep a lot of mana open, and many of its potent spells and creatures cost a lot of mana. When you're playing mono blue and don't have access to green's ramp, what's the best way to get to play a few extra cards a game, or high mana cost cards on earlier turns? Artifacts that provide access to extra mana, otherwise known as mana rocks. Here are the top mana rocks, based on usage, for mono blue commander decks:

1. Sol Ring: Universally considered one of the best mana rocks in Commander, providing two colorless mana for only one mana investment.
2. Mana Crypt: Another powerhouse, offering two colorless mana for no initial cost, albeit with a potential life cost each upkeep.
3. Mana Vault: Provides three colorless mana for just one, but comes with drawbacks if not untapped.

4. Sapphire Medallion: While not a traditional “rock,” it reduces the cost of your blue spells, effectively ramping your blue plays.
5. Thought Vessel: Provides colorless mana and has the added benefit of removing your maximum hand size.

Best Staple Instants in Mono Blue Commander Decks

1. Counterspell: The quintessential blue answer, offering an unambiguous and efficient way to stop any spell for a mere two blue mana. Its straightforwardness and broad applicability make it a staple in mono-blue commander decks.
2. Brainstorm: Provides unparalleled card selection and deck manipulation in a single instant. For just one blue mana, players can sift through the top of their deck, optimizing good cards in their hand and upcoming draws. When paired with shuffle effects, which are common in Commander due to fetch lands or other tutors, Brainstorm becomes even more powerful by allowing undesired cards to be shuffled away for late game play
3. Pongify: A testament to efficient and immediate removal in blue's toolkit. For just one blue mana, it can instantly destroy any creature, regardless of its size or abilities. While it grants the creature's controller a 3/3 Ape token in return, the trade-off is often worth it in Commander—a format filled with powerful creature-based combos and threats.

4. Cyclonic Rift: This card stands as one of the most potent board control spells in the Commander format. While its base effect can bounce a single threat back to its owner's hand, its true power is unleashed when overloaded for seven mana, returning all nonland permanents you don't control to their owners' hands. This asymmetrical effect can dramatically reset the board in your favor, often paving the way for game-winning moves or simply halting overwhelming opposition in its tracks.
5. High Tide: is a compact yet potent spell that amplifies blue's capacity for explosive turns in Commander. For a single blue mana, it doubles the mana produced by Islands for a turn, setting the stage for powerful combos, large spells, or intricate chains of casting multiple spells in succession.

Best Sorcery and Echantment Spells in Mono Blue Commander Decks

1. Rhystic Study: Enchantment spell that's a paragon of passive card advantage in Commander. Its ability to draw a card every time an opponent casts a spell, unless they pay an additional mana, makes it a consistent source of card draw.
2. Ponder: This sorcery spell offers flexible card selection for a mere blue mana. Allowing players to rearrange the top three cards of their library or shuffle them away altogether, followed by a draw, ensures optimal card flow.
3. Preordain: Refines upcoming draws by scrying two cards, then drawing one. This sequence lets players filter out undesired cards while honing in on key pieces or lands, enhancing the consistency of any blue strategy and ensuring smoother gameplay.

4. Mystic Remora: A potent draw engine, especially in the early game. By taxing opponents' non-creature spells with its cumulative upkeep, it either deters them from casting key spells or rewards you with card draws if they do. 
5. Windfall: Both a hand refresher and a potential disruption tool. By making each player discard their hand and then draw cards equal to the greatest number discarded this way, Windfall can rejuvenate a lackluster hand while also disrupting opponents with full grips. In combination with wheel effects or strategies that benefit from cards being discarded or drawn, “Windfall” shines as a versatile and impactful spell in blue's arsenal.

Best Non-Basic Land for Mono Blue Commander Decks

1. Mystic Sanctuary: Offers valuable recursion by putting an instant or sorcery card from the graveyard on top of the library when it enters the battlefield untapped. In a format like Commander, where key spells can make or break games, the ability to retrieve and reuse them is powerful, especially in a land slot.
2. Reliquary Tower: is a boon in any deck that seeks to amass a substantial hand. By ensuring no maximum hand size, it complements blue's penchant for drawing copious amounts of cards, letting players retain all their resources without the usual limitation of discarding to seven cards during the cleanup step.
3. Rivendell: As a nod to the legendary locations from The Lord of the Rings, Rivendell brings both flavor and utility to mono-blue decks. Its potential to enter the battlefield untapped if you control a legendary creature ensures that it can keep pace in the early to mid-game. Its secondary ability to scry 2 for a modest cost, again conditioned on the presence of a legendary creature, provides valuable card selection in Commander.

4. Otawara, Soaring City: Offers flexibility rare in a land card. On its face, it's a consistent source of blue mana. However, its “Channel” ability is where it truly shines, offering a form of interaction by bouncing a broad range of permanent types back to their owner's hands. The cost reduction for each legendary creature you control makes it potentially very efficient, especially in decks with a higher legendary creature count. 
5. Castle Vantress: Adding utility without compromising much on mana consistency, “Castle Vantress” fits naturally in mono-blue decks. Its scry 2 ability, while a tad mana-intensive, provides valuable card selection in the later stages of the game, ensuring that topdecks are as impactful as possible.

Best Non-Legendary Creatures for Mono Blue Commander Decks

1. Faerie Mastermind: A versatile tool in mono-blue decks that emphasizes both interaction and card advantage. Its flash allows for surprise plays or flexible responses to opponents' actions. Its ability to capitalize on opponents drawing multiple cards a turn ensures a steady card advantage, which is especially powerful in multiplayer Commander where extra draws are common.
2. Archmage Emeritus: A powerhouse in decks that emphasize casting a multitude of instants and sorceries. With its magecraft ability, every instant or sorcery spell (or copy thereof) translates to card draw, fueling your hand and ensuring a constant flow of options.
3. Hullbreaker Horror: A testament to blue's control and disruptive nature. Its large body makes it a significant threat, but its ability to return spells or permanents to their owner's hand whenever you cast a spell ensures a dynamic and interactive board state.

4. Solemn Simulacrum: Often affectionately termed “Sad Robot,” it's a staple in a wide range of Commander decks, including mono-blue. Its ability to fetch a basic land onto the battlefield tapped provides both ramp and color fixing. Additionally, when it dies, the card draw ensures you maintain card advantage. It's a two-fold value creature that offers utility and efficiency
5. Archmage of Echoes: This Archmage shines in tribal-themed decks centered around Faeries or Wizards, two popular blue creature types. Beyond its defensive stats with flying and ward, its ability to duplicate every Faerie or Wizard permanent spell is a robust value engine. This duplication can quickly swarm the board with tokens, making “Archmage of Echoes” a central figure in such tribal strategies. Moreover, its synergy with other Faeries and Wizards can create cascading combos or value chains, amplifying the power of each subsequent spell.

Best Artifacts for Mono Blue Commander Decks

1. Swiftfoot Boots: A staple in many Commander decks, mono-blue included. It provides both haste and hexproof for just a single mana to equip, enabling key creatures to act immediately and shielding them from targeted removal. Whether rushing a combo piece into action or safeguarding a valuable utility creature, “Swiftfoot Boots” offers an inexpensive and efficient protective measure.
2. Lightning Greaves: Similar to “Swiftfoot Boots,” “Lightning Greaves” is all about protection and immediacy. Granting haste and shroud at zero equip cost, it ensures that any creature can quickly become an active and untouchable presence on the board. Its versatility and efficiency make it almost universally valued, especially in mono-blue decks that might lean on key creatures for their game plan.
3. Isochron Scepter: A blue player's dream since it arrived on the scene in the Mirrodin block, this artifact thrives in decks packed with impactful instants. By imprinting a low-cost instant onto it, the Scepter allows that spell to be cast repeatedly every turn. In a mono-blue setting, this can mean a consistent counterspell, card draw, or other disruptive effects.

4. Wayfarer's Bauble: Offers valuable ramp in colors that might lack traditional land-fetching methods. In mono-blue, it ensures consistent land drops and a slight acceleration, helping to keep pace with green or other ramp-heavy colors.
5. Sensei's Divining Top: This artifact is a masterclass in card selection and deck manipulation. For a minimal cost, it allows players to rearrange the top three cards of their library, ensuring optimal draws. In addition, its ability to draw a card and then place itself on top of the library can dodge removal or be part of intricate combo setups. Its flexibility and utility make it a prized tool in many mono-blue strategies.

Powerful Combos for Mono Blue Commander Decks

In addition to key cards, there are also several powerful combos you can use to take control of the game in mono blue commander decks:

• Palinchron + High Tide:
  How it works: With “High Tide” active (doubling the mana your Islands produce), you can cast “Palinchron” and then use its untap ability to untap seven lands. With enough Islands, you produce more mana from the untap than the cost to bounce “Palinchron” back to your hand. This results in infinite mana.

• Show and Tell + Blightsteel Colossus:
  How it works: “Show and Tell” is a sorcery that allows each player to put a creature, land, artifact, or enchantment card from their hand onto the battlefield. When you have “Blightsteel Colossus” in your hand, you can play “Show and Tell” and put the Colossus onto the battlefield without paying its hefty mana cost.

• Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal:
  How it works: Imprint “Dramatic Reversal” onto “Isochron Scepter.” Then, if you have mana rocks or dorks that produce a total of 2 or more mana, each activation of “Isochron Scepter” will net you mana while also untapping the Scepter itself, allowing you to produce infinite mana.

Really, Isochron Scepter is just broken in blue decks with the amount of 2 mana or less instants at blue's disposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the strongest mono blue commanders in MTG Commander format?

Some of the strongest mono blue commanders in MTG Commander format include Urza, Lord High Artificer, Teferi, Temporal Archmage, and Baral, Chief of Compliance. These commanders offer powerful abilities and synergies that can help control the game and outmaneuver opponents.

What are some fun mono blue Commander options?

If you're looking for a fun mono blue Commander option, you might consider Talrand, Sky Summoner or Atemsis, All-Seeing. These commanders offer unique playstyles and can create interesting and unexpected interactions with the rest of your deck.

What makes mono blue a strong color choice for Commander decks?

Mono blue is a strong color choice for Commander decks because it offers a wide range of powerful control spells, card draw, and counterspells. Additionally, mono blue decks are often able to generate a lot of mana and draw a lot of cards, which can give them a significant advantage over opponents.

What are some popular mono blue Commander precon options?

Some popular mono blue Commander precon options include the Arcane Maelstrom and Mystic Intellect Commander 2020 decks, as well as the Teferi, Temporal Archmage and Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Commander 2014 decks. These precon decks offer a great starting point for building a powerful mono blue Commander deck.

Which is your favorite mono blue commander and why? Let us know in the comments!

All this blue make you feel like you're drowning? Come back up for air and try these other top 100 mono black, mono green, mono red, or mono white commanders!

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